Woodman's Food Market
Encyclopedia
Woodman's Food Market is an employee-owned supermarket
chain in Wisconsin
and northern Illinois
, operating thirteen warehouse stores. Supermarket News ranked Woodman's No. 75 in the 2009 list "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on revenue generated in the 2008 fiscal year. They were again ranked No.75 in the 2010 list for the 2009 fiscal year.
, by Willard Woodman, a meat cutter. Willard's sons Willard P. Woodman and Dan Woodman expanded the business into a chain of supermarkets serving medium-sized cities in the area. Beginning with their third Janesville location, they employed a big box format, and now build their stores as anchors to small retail complexes. In the 1990s, the company was sold to its employees via a stock sharing plan; Phil Woodman remains President and CEO.
Prices at Woodman's are lower than at many large grocery store chains because of their bulk purchasing model. Most items are stocked on the shelves by employees, but special bulk purchases and other items are sometimes shelved in their shipping cases or stacked in the aisles. Some items are regional brands not typically found in Wisconsin. Woodman's carries products from outside the U.S., with a notable selection of ethnic foods. The store's generic brand is Shurfine
, which is one of the many brands of Skokie, Illinois
-based private label
manufacturer Topco Associates.
Woodman's liquor sections are quite large when compared to other chains. Beer
selection includes national brands, regional craft brews, and imports; many other brands can be obtained by special request. At a new or newly renovated Woodman's, the liquor store is often as large as a typical small-town grocery.
Produce
, because it is purchased in bulk from the lowest cost supplier available at any one time, varies greatly in quality and freshness from one time to another. A common practice is to place an entire pallet of merchandise on the sales floor, cut the tops off the boxes and allow the customer to handle the product. Other perishable items, such as meat
and dairy
products, can vary in quality, as well.
Woodman's allowed payment only by cash
or check
until 2004, when they began to accept debit cards. Woodman's does not accept payment by credit card
as they will not pay processing fees or assess them on their customers. The company advertises relatively little, and attributes their lower prices to these practices. However, printed advertisements are sometimes circulated in some local markets.
Shopping carts are varied, with the newest stores having electric carts for those unable to navigate the large area of the store, oversized carts for those making large purchases, and carts that allow two children to be strapped in.
The company previously owned a stake in Roundy's
, now a key regional competitor.
Illinois
Wisconsin
Supermarket
A supermarket, a form of grocery store, is a self-service store offering a wide variety of food and household merchandise, organized into departments...
chain in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and northern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, operating thirteen warehouse stores. Supermarket News ranked Woodman's No. 75 in the 2009 list "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on revenue generated in the 2008 fiscal year. They were again ranked No.75 in the 2010 list for the 2009 fiscal year.
History
The company was founded as a small grocery in Janesville, WisconsinJanesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
, by Willard Woodman, a meat cutter. Willard's sons Willard P. Woodman and Dan Woodman expanded the business into a chain of supermarkets serving medium-sized cities in the area. Beginning with their third Janesville location, they employed a big box format, and now build their stores as anchors to small retail complexes. In the 1990s, the company was sold to its employees via a stock sharing plan; Phil Woodman remains President and CEO.
Overview
Woodman's operates on a warehouse model, with stores in the 200-250,000 square foot range, in contrast to the 50-75,000 square foot size of typical grocery stores. Stores are built with a minimum level of amenities, usually with inexpensive materials. Older locations, constructed in the 1980s, have faux-stucco concrete exteriors and wood-paneled interiors. These stores are beginning to be renovated, although work proceeds very slowly because the company prefers not to take on debt.Prices at Woodman's are lower than at many large grocery store chains because of their bulk purchasing model. Most items are stocked on the shelves by employees, but special bulk purchases and other items are sometimes shelved in their shipping cases or stacked in the aisles. Some items are regional brands not typically found in Wisconsin. Woodman's carries products from outside the U.S., with a notable selection of ethnic foods. The store's generic brand is Shurfine
Shurfine
Shurfine International is a distributor of private label and store brands for independent supermarkets and convenience stores throughout the United States...
, which is one of the many brands of Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
-based private label
Private label
Private label products or services are typically those manufactured or provided by one company for offer under another company's brand. Private label goods and services are available in a wide range of industries from food to cosmetics to web hosting...
manufacturer Topco Associates.
Woodman's liquor sections are quite large when compared to other chains. Beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
selection includes national brands, regional craft brews, and imports; many other brands can be obtained by special request. At a new or newly renovated Woodman's, the liquor store is often as large as a typical small-town grocery.
Produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
, because it is purchased in bulk from the lowest cost supplier available at any one time, varies greatly in quality and freshness from one time to another. A common practice is to place an entire pallet of merchandise on the sales floor, cut the tops off the boxes and allow the customer to handle the product. Other perishable items, such as meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
and dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
products, can vary in quality, as well.
Woodman's allowed payment only by cash
Cash
In common language cash refers to money in the physical form of currency, such as banknotes and coins.In bookkeeping and finance, cash refers to current assets comprising currency or currency equivalents that can be accessed immediately or near-immediately...
or check
Cheque
A cheque is a document/instrument See the negotiable cow—itself a fictional story—for discussions of cheques written on unusual surfaces. that orders a payment of money from a bank account...
until 2004, when they began to accept debit cards. Woodman's does not accept payment by credit card
Credit card
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users as a system of payment. It allows its holder to buy goods and services based on the holder's promise to pay for these goods and services...
as they will not pay processing fees or assess them on their customers. The company advertises relatively little, and attributes their lower prices to these practices. However, printed advertisements are sometimes circulated in some local markets.
Shopping carts are varied, with the newest stores having electric carts for those unable to navigate the large area of the store, oversized carts for those making large purchases, and carts that allow two children to be strapped in.
The company previously owned a stake in Roundy's
Roundy's
Roundy's Supermarkets is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based supermarket chain with 154 stores in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and 4 stores in Illinois...
, now a key regional competitor.
Other services
Most Woodman's markets have gas stations, car washes, and convenience stores located in proximity to the main building. Woodman's stores also provide parcel pick-up.Locations
Woodman's has thirteen locations:Illinois
- CarpentersvilleCarpentersville, IllinoisCarpentersville is a village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. The population was 30,586 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Carpentersville is located at ....
- North AuroraNorth Aurora, IllinoisNorth Aurora is village in Kane County, Illinois, United States. A suburb of Chicago, its population was 15,848 at the 2009 census.In its early history, North Aurora was known as "Schneider's Mill" or "Schneider's Crossing" after John Peter Schneider, a German immigrant who established a mill and...
- RockfordRockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
Wisconsin
- AppletonAppleton, WisconsinAppleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
- BeloitBeloit, WisconsinBeloit is a city in Rock County, Wisconsin, United States. As of the 2010 census, Beloit had a population of 36,966. The greater Beloit area is home to more than 91,000 residents.-Claim to fame:...
- Green BayGreen Bay, WisconsinGreen Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
- JanesvilleJanesville, WisconsinJanesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
- KenoshaKenosha, WisconsinKenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
- MadisonMadison, WisconsinMadison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
(2 locations: east side and west side) - Menomonee FallsMenomonee Falls, WisconsinMenomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest community in Waukesha County...
- Oak CreekOak Creek, WisconsinOak Creek is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 28,456 at the 2000 census. In 2009, its population was estimated at 33,946.-History:...
- OnalaskaOnalaska, WisconsinOnalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 18,097. It is part of the La Crosse Metropolitan Area....
- Sun PrairieSun Prairie, WisconsinSun Prairie is a city in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. A suburb of Madison it is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. The 2010 US Census estimates the city's population to be 29,364. It is the sixth-fastest growing city in Wisconsin, and the fastest-growing among cities...
under construction, expected to open by late summer/ early fall 2012